Enhanced antimicrobial effectiveness of synergistic mixtures of rambutan peel extract and cinnamon essential oil on food spoilage bacteria and bio‐based food packaging

Abstract

AbstractThis research aims to enhance antimicrobial activity of rambutan peel extract (RPE), by mixing with cinnamon essential oil (CEO). The mixture of RPE and CEO with different weight ratios (10:0, 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 3:7, 2:8, 1:9, and 0:10) had been prepared and the antimicrobial efficacy was tested. Nine strains of bacteria: Gram‐positive bacteria (Bacillus sp., Enterococcus faecalis, Leuconostoc sp., Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus sp.) and Gram‐negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Salmonella typhimurium) were selected as the representative of pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria. Mixing RPE with CEO in a ratio of 5:5 showed the best synergistic effect against those bacteria. Addition of RPE/CEO in a weight ratio of 5:5 improved the antimicrobial activity of whey protein isolated (WPI) films, and enhanced strength, stiffness, and water resistance of the film.